Page 83 of Rage of Her Ravens
Ember looked curiously at me. “And sweets?”
“For being such brave girls,” I said with a smile, “I’m sure Cook can find some sweets.”
Shirina stood, nervously toying with her fingers. “What about Blaze?”
I swallowed at that. Blaze was probably all the way to the first cave by now. “I’ll send more mages after him.”
She bowed her head. “Thank you.”
I stiffened. “Of course.” Again, she felt she had to thank me for taking care of my brothers. I had no doubt she considered me the worst sort of monster, not that I blamed her after my poor behavior.
She turned a forlorn gaze to Nikkos. “He’s not answering my thoughts.”
Her thoughts? Of course, they were bonded and could mind-speak. I tried to ignore the thorns of jealousy that pricked my spine. It served me right for the way I’d treated her.
“We must give him time to heal.”
She shook her head, stepping back when I reached for her hand. “I should stay with him.”
“He will be in good hands, Shirina.” I did my best to infuse confidence in my voice. “After we feed the girls, you can return here to him.”
The girls tugged on their aunt’s skirts. “Please, Auntie,” they begged. “We’re so hungry.”
Shirina’s shoulders fell, and she finally relented, following me out of the room, but not before giving Nikkos one last forlorn look. I only hoped she’d one day look at me with half the love reflecting in her eyes.
Chapter Thirteen
Shirina
Draevyn led us downa rounded staircase with golden rails and draped in a plush velvet runner. I was still amazed at the opulence. I kept scanning the dome ceiling overhead, that was several stories in height, imagining my mates soaring from rafter to rafter when they were children learning to fly. Toward the bottom of the atrium was another set of rafters crisscrossing in the shape of a star. Hanging from it was the biggest chandelier I’d ever seen with hundreds of softly glowing candles illuminating the marble floors below. The tall windows surrounding us reflected the twinkling stars outside.
The girls had been rendered speechless, their mouths hanging open as they took in the sights. We reached a landing of colorful padded carpets and followed Draevyn through double doors into a massive hall with a long dining table that could’ve served two dozen guests. The chandelier above the table was almost as big as the one above the stairwell.
Draevyn surged ahead of us, speaking in a low voice to a young man wearing silk stockings and a crimson tunic. The young man whistled to a team of servants. They all rushed to his side and then got to work setting four placemats at the far end of the table.
I swallowed back a lump of nerves when Draevyn pulled out a chair next to the head of the table with a smile. The girls clung to me when two servants pulled out the chairs opposite mine.